Senior Environmental Specialist

The ENB Global Practice in Sub Saharan Africa consists of four units: Two in West and Central Africa Region, and two in East and Southern Africa Region. SAWE4 covers parts of West and Central Africa. The unit manages operations in a variety of areas such as natural resources management, the blue economy and coastal zone management, forestry, pollution, climate change, landscape, and terrestrial and marine natural resources. In addition, the unit, like other ENR GP units provides environmental safeguards and ESF services across all sectors and projects.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Senior Environment Specialist will be based in Accra, Ghana, will principally be leading and supporting a broad and evolving portfolio of lending and policy dialogue in all ENB business lines. He/she will also support operations in Sustainable Landscapes, Forestry, Watershed Management, Biodiversity Conservation, Blue Economy, and Pollution Management with a main focus on the Ghana program but also the other two countries in this Country Management Unit, that is Liberia and Sierra Leone. The Selected candidate will work under supervision of the Practice Manager for SAWE4 based in the WB’s Washington Office.  He/she will have the following main duties and responsibilities:

ENB Program Coordination:

• Support practice manager in the WPA preparation and discussion with CMU
• Prepare briefs and talking points on key ENB issues and report, as needed to CMU, on progress of ENB activities.
• Represent ENB at workshops and events as required.
• Lead/coordinate ENB feedback and inputs to products/outputs being developed.
• Participate in CMU Leadership Team meetings and coordinate closely with the SD Program Leader.

Lending: 

• Facilitate, engage in, and shape policy dialogues, identifying clients’ priority needs for lending, analytical support, and advisory services in relation to forestry/sustainable landscape management and blue economy and fisheries. This will also be in alignment with the new directions outlined under the Evolution Roadmap including the Global Challenge Programs.
• Lead or co-lead preparation and implementation of complex and multi-sectoral operations with investment in Forests, Landscapes, Watersheds, Marine and Coastal Zones and Populations involve diverse range of internal and external stakeholders;
• Lead or co-lead the preparation and implementation of complex grant-financed operations.
• Co-lead or be a technical team member on operations led by other GPs and PGs including development policy operations and IPFs;
• Conduct timely project preparation, implementation support missions, and reporting; catalyze project disbursement; and provide technical support on ENB related topics; Provide strategic advice to team leaders of projects that include ENB-related activities, with emphasis on issues related to blue economy, fisheries, rural livelihood creation, promotion of rural NRM opportunities, land degradation and restoration, forest management, and community strengthening in natural resource management to maximize the value of blue economy, sustainable landscapes, biodiversity, and natural resources.
• Lead and participate in project implementation support missions, elaborate mission aide-memoires, ISRs and ensure monitoring of timely execution of mission’ action plans.
• Contribute to NRM portfolio related business and pipeline development (e.g. policy lending, program for results, regional integration programs, etc.), as well as donor dialogue, private sector engagement and identification of additional funding opportunities.
• Share technical knowledge with clients and partners on different environment and NRM topics (blue economy, forestry, agroforestry, biodiversity, etc.,).
• Represent the Bank in discussions with governments, donors and other stakeholders on Blue Economy, Landscapes, Rural Development, Climate Change and NRM.
• Promote, through ongoing and future portfolio, community-based approaches and planning processes.
• Proactively participate in other key GP dialogues (agriculture, urban, water etc.,) and represent ENB in such dialogues as the focal point for the ENB program in Ghana, while also supporting the program in Liberia and Sierra Leone as required.
• Coordinate operations with development partner activities to prioritize ENB Actions; and
• Support the Government of Ghana in coordination with development partner to meet the objectives of Ghana’s international commitments such as NAP and NDC.

Non-Lending: 

• Task lead the preparation of programmatic ASA
• Co-lead or be a technical specialist on the PASAs or ASAs led by other GPs and PGs;
• Mobilize grant co-financing for IDA operations or standalone grant financing; and
• Coordinate and mentor multi-disciplinary team of staff, ETC, and STCs to deliver the Ghana ENB  portfolio.

Country and sector engagement dialogues: 

• Support Ghana CMU on ENB managed tasks such as preparation of briefs and talking points on key ENB issues and report, as needed to CMU and PM, on progress of ENB activities; representing in ENB at workshops and events; lead and/or contribute to inputs from ENB on government’s strategic planning; coordinate with other Development Partners; and participate in CMU and SD Team meetings;
• Engage in the preparation of country strategy products (SCD and CPFs);
• Facilitate, engage in, and shape policy dialogues, identifying clients’ priority needs for lending, analytical support, and advisory services in relation to natural resource economy, including fisheries and forestry;
• Provide strategic leadership and participate in sector dialogue and business development on NRM, Watershed, Landscapes, Forestry, Biodiversity, Pollution Management, Environmental Health and the Circular Economy, Blue Economy, Climate Change and overall environmental agenda;
• Build, maintain and strengthen effective communication with government counterparts (and development partner community and NGOs, and other local agencies and organizations on the World Bank activities on relevant topics and provide local perspective and insights;
• Advise clients in the Government and staff on environmental and natural resource policy and technical matters; and
• Assist in the coordination, design and delivery of knowledge management and training activities.

Selection Criteria

• A master’s degree or above in environment and/or natural resource management, watershed management, sustainable landscape management, forestry, agronomy, climate change, marine and coastal zone management, fisheries, environmental policy or engineering, or similar relevant disciplines.
• Minimum of 8 years of international professional experience in the environment and natural resources management sector, including proven experience in watershed management, integrated landscapes, environment, fisheries, marine and coastal zone management, forestry, dryland development, climate change, and biodiversity.
• Deep knowledge of natural resources sectors, policies, and institutions, including forestry, sustainable land management, and/or fisheries.
• Field experience in project preparation and supervision, working closely with client and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead high-quality analytical tasks that include environment related data and information, linking those analyses to country development priorities and economic impacts.
• Deep technical expertise in at least three of the following subjects: 1) Forestry, protected area management, biodiversity, 2) blue economy 3) landscape restoration; 4) desertification and land degradation.
• Demonstrated track record in project management / operational skills and familiarity with Bank procedures is required.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively coordinate activities involving multiple disciplines and organizational units, as well as to maintain high service standards under pressure, meet deadlines, and accommodate simultaneous demands from various sources.
• Demonstrated track record managing a portfolio of large-scale investment projects, is required.
• Demonstrated ability to lead high-quality analytical tasks that include environmentally related data and information, linking those analyses to country development priorities and economic impacts.
• Proven team leadership and project and portfolio management capacity. (IPF TTL accreditation is required)
• A demonstrated track-record in managing complex operations, engagement with the private sector and multisectoral work and fund-raising for and management of trust funds is important.
• A minimum of 5 years of track record in strategic engagement experience with senior level policy makers (director general level at government ministry or higher) is required.
• Exceptional ability to identify long-range goals and objectives, develop strategic approaches, and conceptualize a multi-year plan to operationalize these strategies.
• Ability to build and sustain key stakeholder relationships with government and other key stakeholders; and to integrate divergent viewpoints of multiple external and internal stakeholders into a coherent project/program/strategy.
• Ability to guide clients and/or development partners in identifying key policy issues and optional solutions with a demonstrated ability to bring together different perspectives.
• A proven track record working with a wide range of stakeholders, NGOs, international organizations, development partners and/or with the government.
• Excellent workflow management and task organization skills; able to coordinate all aspects of the workflow of assigned responsibilities.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to draft concise reports and correspondence, and ability to defend orally and in writing difficult issues and positions to a variety of stakeholders.
• Good team player who can work as a member of a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team, motivate and lead group efforts and network effectively across boundaries.
• Well-developed interpersonal, communication, and writing skills, including the ability to write concisely and translate technical knowledge and ideas into fluent and understandable English.
• High motivation, flexibility, reliability, and a proactive approach to working with all staff in a team-driven environment, and initiative and ability to work on his/her own.
• Experience in engaging with government and private sector counterparts and facilitating deliberations among various stakeholders.
• Experience in working with clients to achieve compliance and leads discussions on environmental matters.
• Willingness to travel extensively nationally, regionally, and internationally is required, also to remote areas and to countries/areas with FCV.
• Experience in working in FCV countries is a plus.
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English.
• Ability to work well independently, with proven ability to mentor more junior staff.
• A drive for results while working with limited supervision and under tight timelines.
• Understanding of the programmatic approach to forests, climate change and natural resources management (in the context of multi-sectoral approaches and the national development plan and using various sources of financing.

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=27922&site=1